Let dry bland chicken be a thing of the past! This smoked chicken breast recipe is incredibly flavorful and juicy. There are no brines or marinades required in these instructions, so skip the prep and simply enjoy a delicious meal.
Boneless skinless chicken breast is notorious for being dry and bland. There is not really any fat on a chicken breast which is why it can dry out so easily. Smoking chicken is the best way I have found to cook this cut of meat.
I know when I think about smoking meat, I tend to think of a long drawn out cook time but chicken breasts are usually relatively small and only take about an hour and a half to smoke.
Normally, I use a brine or marinade on chicken breasts, but sometimes I don’t have the time or energy to put into the prep work. The outline for today’s recipe gives you a basic guide to skip the prep and go straight to cooking without sacrificing flavor.
I love cooking a little extra chicken and using the leftovers throughout the week. I almost always use our Chicken Rub on chicken breasts because it has a nice herbal flavor that is versatile for whatever I am cooking. If I know I am wanting “barbeque chicken”, I will use our All Purpose BBQ Rub. Feel free to use your favorite rub or seasoning in this recipe.
How To Prepare Your Chicken
Take the chicken breasts and pat them dry with a paper towel. If there are any large pieces of fat that you want to remove, discard them at this time.
Lightly coat the meat with olive oil and then apply a layer of seasoning to all sides of the meat. The amount of seasoning you apply will depend on which seasoning you select and what flavor you are trying to achieve. I used our Chicken Rub and applied a heavy layer to coat the chicken.
How To Smoke Chicken Breast
Preheat your grill or smoker to a temperature of 225°F. Take the seasoned chicken breasts and place them directly on the grill grates. The cooking time really depends on the size of the chicken breasts you purchase. A large piece of chicken may take closer to 2 hours to cook and a smaller piece will probably be done after about 1 hour.
I would suggest probing the chicken after it has been cooking for 1 hour to see what it’s reading. Chicken is safe to eat at 165°F, but I pull the chicken off the grill a couple of degrees before then and let the resting process bring it up to 165°F.
The key to getting moist chicken is not letting it go over 165°F in the thickest part of the meat. Once the meat is at 163°F to 165°F internally, pull it from the grill and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Make sure you have a reliable thermometer probe to check the meat with. Not having an accurate probe could cause you to overcook the meat.
If you wish to add a sauce to the chicken, apply a thin layer right before the meat is done. It only takes about 10 minutes for a sauce to tack up and be ready to serve. If you’re looking for a homemade sauce, our BBQ sauce recipe goes great with chicken as well!
What To Serve With Smoked Chicken Breast
- Homemade Coleslaw
- Baked Beans
- Smoked Mac and Cheese
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- Grilled Jalapeno Poppers
If you are looking for other chicken recipes, try our Grilled Chicken Wings, Grilled Chicken Thighs, or Grilled Chicken Drumsticks. All are great options!
Grilling Tips
- If you want to try a marinade for the smoked chicken breasts, our All-Purpose Marinade is packed with flavor and will help add even more moisture.
- Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts. I used 10-ounce chicken breasts and they took approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to cook.
- Frozen chicken breasts can be used, but need to be fully thawed first.
- To freeze leftover chicken breasts, place them in a vacuum sealed bag and freeze for up to 6 months.
Smoked Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 chicken breasts
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil use more or less as needed
- Chicken rub or salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat your grill or smoker to 225°F, add wood chunks or chips.
- Pat dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel.
- Lightly coat the meat with olive oil, then use your favorite chicken rub (or salt and pepper) to season all sides.
- Smoke the chicken at 225°F for 1 to 2 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Cook time depends on the size of meat purchased.
- Allow the chicken breasts to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.